Phineas lawrence



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` P. LAWRENCE.

Game Board.

Patented Dec.2ms,1sso.

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" P. LAWRENCE.

Game Board.

No. 235,95\l Patented Dec. 28,1880.

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PHINEAS LAWRENCE, OF LONDON, COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, ENGLAND.

GAME-BOARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,951, dated December 28, 1880.

Application filed October 15, 1880. (No model.) Patented in England January 26, 1878. i

To all whom t may concern Beit known that I, PHINnAs LAWRENCE, a resident of London, England, and a subject ofthe Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India, have invented a new and 'useful Improvement in Game-Boards, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, N o. 343, bearing date 26th January, 1878,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved portable combination game-board, on which backgammon, checkers, cribbage, chess, bezique, and other similar games may be played, and in devices for playing, scoring, or marking such games, the main object being to provide means by which each of several games of diverse character can he played and scored in a novel way on the diii'erent parts of my combined device.

Another part of my invention relates to a novel manner of marking several games, by which I economize space and dispense with many of the cumbrous and inconvenient devices in common use, and substitute other and simpler means for scoring or registering the progress and result of games for which my improved game-board is adapted.

' Another part of my invention relates to the substitution of simple and convenient instruments or devices for use on games for which my combined game-board is adapted in place ot' the conventional pieces7 or men used whensuch games are played on ordinary boards, all as hereinafter described and claimed. y

Referring to the drawings that accompany this specitcation, in which similar letters iudicate like parts on each gure, Figure l is a view or plan ofthe upper surface of the board. Fig. 2 is a view or plan of the under surface thereof. Fig. 3 is a detached view of a modiied form of a cribbage board or marker. Figs. 4 and 5 are other modifications of a cribbage board or marker. Fig. `6 is a sectional view of Fig. 5.

The game-board is a tablet, shallow box, or

slab, with or without a raised border or rim, made of any suitable rigid material, the up` per and lower surfaces being provided with the necessary imprint, or being laid out.with the requisite designs or illustrations, by the aid of which the respective games can be played and scored.

A is the board proper, having illustratedin suitable contrasting colors on one of its surfaces the conventional twelve points, B B',

` used in playing backgammon. A central line,

other the same places as would the ordinary 7o hat disks or checkers. I furthermore dispense with dice and dice-cups, and as a substitute therefor employ one or more dials, C C', which may be either recessed into the board, so as to have their facestlush with the surface thereof, or they may tld direct on the board by stamping, or indenting, or embossing, or in any suitable manner. rlhe faces of these dials have on their periphery numerals or emblems corresponding in character, number, and arrangement to the spots or numerals usually borne on dice, and they are, further, each supplied with two pointers, c c', pivoted centrally, so that they can be spun round. These pointers, after having been set in motion, when at rest point to the numerals or emblems on the periphery ot' the dialiace, but should they stop at any intermediate point they mustbe respuu. Thus it will be seen that they serve to show the mark or score to which the player is entitled, the same way as would be indicated it ordinary dice were thrown, and the pins in the holes a a' are then moved into the position that they are entitled to occupy by the ordinary rules of the game.

D D are two other dials, each suppliedwith a single pointer, by which an account can be kept of the number of games won, or they may be used for scoring in whist, ecarte, or other games where the maximum tricks or points do not reach above ten, as it will be seen that the outer circle of these dials D D IOO have numerals thereon, from l to 10, in consecutive order.

II is a shallow recessed circular receptacle or recess7 iitted With a cover, and serving to hold the pins or pegs when not in use; but in this receptacle I sometimes place or lit a permanent or removable circular cribbage-board or Cribbage-marker, as hereinafter described.

The reverse of the tablet or board is finished as a chess or checker board, and each eld or square may be partially pierced and have an openin g for reception oi' a pin or peg, the same as the holes a a on the backgammon-points, as llereinbefore described. By this construction a game of checkers can be played by use of pins or pegs in lieu of the conventional disks or men ordinarily used in such a game.

IE desired, boxes may be attached to the board for the reception of chess-men, pegs, counters, or other like articles.

On parallel edges of the hoard A, I place or lit rows of markers E E, constructed in the following manner: e e are grooves, into which are adjusted sliding pointers f, which can be readily moved the'full length of the grooves. On the surface ot' the edges ot' the board a number of numerals are marked. The drawings show numerals, commencing at zero, and thence progressing in rotation from l to 61, this being the required notation for an ordinary game of cribbage, and supplementary parallel lines of numerals may be added, starting from zero, and thence from l to 500 or 1000,

such being the required notation ior a game of bzique.

Fig. 3 shows, in perspective, another a-rrangement or modiiication of a cribbage board or marker. This is a iiat slab, G, of suitable material, having on its face the requisite numerals, in which are grooves e c on the upper surface and grooves c e on two otl its edges, preferably the front and back edges. In each of these grooves is a sliding pointer,f, which can lbe moved so as to designate by its position relative to the numerals on the face of the slab the state ot' the game as it progresses. This slab G may be permanently attached to the board, or may be iitted Within it in any suitable manner, so as to be removable at will, and by this construction several parties may utilize my combination game-board at the same time for differentgames, it' so desired.

FiO. 4 is a modification of my cribbage board or marker. This is formed so as to fit in my improved combination game-board, so that it can be removed When required and used separately While other games are progressing by the use of the other several parts' hereinbefore described. It is composed of a dial or disk of suitable material, and has a circumferential border furnished with serial numbers from I to 61. This dial has an aXis which carries two pointers, m mf, supplied respectively With a knob or stud, p p', so that the pointers can be conveniently handled and revolved. The knob p is placed at the outer end of the upper pointer, m', and the knob p on the inner end or heel of the pointer m'. By this construction the knob ot the upper pointer, when it rotates, can pass over the lower one Without displacing it from the position to which it may be adjusted.

Figs. 5 and 0 illustrate details of another modification ot' my invention, in which I employ tivo sets of numerals arranged upon an inner and outer circumferential border, one of which is sunk in a circular groove or recess, as plainly shown in section, Fig. 6, thus enabling this moditcation of my invention to be used at the same time by tivo opposing players. The pointers in this modification are of different lengths, the longer one reaching to the outer border of numerals, the shorter one to the inner border, the pointers having knobs or studs, the same as described in the modification Fig. 4.

0n all of these scoring devices I dispense with movable pins or pegs, which, When used, are necessarily small and are liable to be displaced or lost, and I secure correct marking by means ot' the revolving pointers and the circumferentialY borders having' the required emblems or numerations, as described.

Any of these devices can be used Afor marking or scoring any description of games by use ot' required numeration, and the dials may be arranged or adjusted on the reverse A ot' the game-board.

My improved combination game-board, With its several attachments, is peculiarly adapted for travelers, as it can be used on railroads or on shipboard While in motion Without risk of any of the movable parts being displaced from any position to Which they may be adjusted during the progress of the game; and another advantage attained is the utilization of the various separable devices, by the use of which several games can be played at the same time by different players.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination game-board constructed as described, upon which checkers, backgammon, and similar games can be played by the use of movable pins in lieu of ordinary checkermen, and dials with revolving pointers in lieu of dice and dice cups, substantially as described.

2. The game-board adapted for playing, scoring, and'marking backgammon by means of dials With pointers and movable pins, in combination with other dials having revolving pointers for marking and scoring Whist, cart, bzique, cribbage, and similar games, substantially as described.

3. In a game-board, the removable circular cribbage board or marker having a circumferential border bearing the requisite emblems or serial numbers, in combination with revolving pointers, substantially as described.

4. A game-board provided with a removable circular cribbage-board having an outer ifs IOO

IIO

circumferential border of `numerals and another inner sunken circumferential border of numerals, in combination With independent revolving pointers supplied with knobs or studs p p', substantially as described.

5. A game-board one surface of which is adapted for playing backgammon by the use of movable pins or pegs, in combination with dials having peripheral numerals or emblems and pivoted revolving pointers, the reverse surface of which board is adapted for playing checkers or chess, and having dials for scoring or marking the progress of Whist, cart, bezique, and similar games, as and for the purposes set forth, arranged and constructed substantially as described.

PHINEAS LAWRENCE.

Witnesses:

ROBERT W. PEACH, LEONIDAS BROWN. 

